Toy dispensing target



Feb. 14, 1961 0. MUSSER 2,971,761

TOY DISPENSING TARGET Filed May 21, 1956 2! 5 X 66 J2 a g 9888 M 4 a; s i

3 6' 20 time 0114,42 M05558, JVVEA/TG/E'.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,971,761 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-1023) toy dispensing target.

A tremendous number of different types of toy targets have been developed and utilized in the past for amusement purposes. In spite of the tremendous amount of design Work which has gone into the development of such prior toy targets there is a decided need for devices of this category which readily catch the imagination and fancy of an individual, regardless of the age of the individual. One object of the present invention is to provide toy targets satisfying this need by utilizing a mechanism for dispensing an article when a target of the present invention is actuated by a projectile.

Another objective of this invention is to provide toy dispensing targets which are characterized by their s' plicity and cheapness of manufacture. A related object of the invention is to provide devices of the class described which are very simple to construct and which, nevertheless, are extremely reliable in operation, being in etfect child proof. This latter is very important since the destructive tendencies of children of all ages are well known.

Because of the nature of this invention it is not considered necessary or advisable to set forth in this specification a number of further objectives of the invention pointing out specifically various construction details of targets of the invention and enumerating all the desirable characteristics of targets capable of dispensing an article when actuated. Such other objects of the invention, as well as many specific advantages of it, will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from a consideration of the remainder of this specification including the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a front perspective view of a toy dispensing target of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of this target, this view being partially in section so as to illustrate certain details of construction;

:Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bell crank lever employed.

In all figures of the drawing like numerals are used to designate the same parts. The toy dispensing target illustrated is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention; the target illustrated is not to be taken as limiting the invention in any respect inasmuch as a number of other targets embodying the essential principles of this invention can be easily designed. Such other targets are to be considered as being encompassed by this invention insofar as they utilize the essential operational principles herein described.

It may be stated in essentially summary form, as an aid to-understanding this invention, that the invention concerns toy dispensing targets of the general category indicated in the preceding discussion, each of which includes or comprises a support,- meanslocatedon said support which are adapted to hold articles to be dispensed; a target member designed to be actuated by a projectile positioned upon said support; and means interconnecting said target member and said means adapted to hold articles, said interconnecting means serving to cause an article to be dispensed when said target member is engaged by a projectile. This summary is given primarily as an aid to understanding this invention, and is not to be considered as limiting the invention in any respect.

In order that the invention may be completely understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawing.

Here there is shown a toy dispensing target 10 of the present invention which includes a rigid support 12 having front and rear sides 14 and 16 respectively. This support 12 is designed to be disposed in a substantially vertical position upon a table or the like by means of triangularly shaped metal brackets 18 of known construction. If desired, other meansbesides these can be employed so as to hold the support 12 upon a table, a floor, a wall or the like. It is preferred to print the front side 14 of the support 12 with a picture such as is illustrated so that the target 10 may readily catch the attention of an individual.

Within the center portion of the support 12 there is located an aperture 20 which serves to hold a rod 22 extending perpendicular to the support 12 so as to project from both sides thereof. A target member 24 is secured to this rod upon the end thereof on the front side 14. The target member may conveniently be formed so as to form a part of the picture on the front side 14; it preferably includes a flat surface parallel to the front side 14, this surface being designed to be engaged by a projectile so as to actuate various mechanisms located on the rear side 16 of the support 12 through movement of the rod 22.

On the rear side 16 of the support 12 there is located a single member 26 which is formed so as to include a number of sections and parts serving diiferent functions during the use of the target 10. For this reason the various parts of the member 26.are not described in this specification as being part of an individual member, but are described as being separate means or parts.

One of these parts may be termed a first inclined chute 28 having a top opening 30 formed therein and having a bottom wall 32. Adjacent to this bottom wall 32 there is located in a side of the first chute 28 immediately above the bottom wall 32 a side opening 34 which is the same .as a first opening 36 in a second inclined chute 38. An

edge 40 of the bottom wall 32 is curved upwards as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing so as to serve to efliciently hold an article against undesired bouncing from the first chute 28 into the second chute 38. A second opening 42 is formed in the same side of the second chute 38 as the first opening 36 so as to be located beneath this first opening. This second opening 42 is the same as a top side opening 44 in a third inclined chute 46. At the bottom of this third inclined shute a dispensing opening 48 is formed in the support 12 so as to lead to the front side 14 from this third chute.

A small, basket-like container 50 is preferably attached to this front side 14 immediately beneath the dispensing opening 48 so that any articles passing through it fall through an open top 52 of this container into it. Preferably the top 52 is located at some distance from the opening 48 so that the movement of articles may be readily seen. The container 50 may be secured to the front side 14 by an adhesive or any sort of conventional bracket. Although it is not considered preferable for certain purposes, the container 50 may be merely used in conjunction with the support 112 without being physically attached to it.

A small bracket 54 having an opening 56 formed therein is preferably formed on the member 26 so as'to-serve as a bearing attached to the rear side 16. This bearing serves to support the rod 22 in conjunction with the aperture 20 so that this rod can slide freely with respect to the support 12 as the target member 24 is engaged by a projectile A coil spring 58 is located around the rod 22 against the bracket 54 so as to normally urge the side of a bell crank lever 60 having an oval shape opening 62 located therein against a member 64 attached to the rod 22 so as to force both this side ofthe bell crank lever 60 and the member 64 against the rear side 16. The fulcrum 66 of the bell crank lever 60 is positioned in a slot 68 between the chute 28 and the rear side 16 so that, in effect, a portion of the first chute 28 serves as a pivot point about which the bell crank lever 60 rotates. Such rotation is caused by the actuation of the target member 24, resulting in movement of the bell crank lever 60 so that a side 70 thereof located within the first chute 28 moves to the position indicated in phantom in Fig. 3 of the drawing. When this occurs an article against the bottom wall 32 is flipped up into the second chute from which it moves by gravity through the second chute and the third chute 46 and out through the opening 48 a and into the container 50.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the front side 14 of the support 12 is manufactured so as to indicate a chicken in a barnyard scene; the target member 24 is designed so as to resemble an egg; and the target 10 is intended to be used with a plurality of small balls 72 such as common ping pong balls. With this structure the .balls are initially located within the first chute 28, and when the target member 24 is actuated are caused to move by the various means described through the dispensing opening 48. When the bell crank lever 60 is disengaged by a projectile the coil spring 58 automatically returns this bell crank lever to its initial position and a single ball 72 falls against the bottom wall 32 in position to be moved through the opening 34. The various openings and specifically the opening 34 are of such dimension so that only a single ball may be moved through them at any one time.

It is obviously possible to employ a wide variety of different sliding or other type of structures serving to dispense a single ball at any one time besides the specific structure herein described. This specific structure is prefered for commercial and other reasons, but since such substitution is possible it is to be understood that this invention encompasses targets embodying the essential principles described in this specification. A number of other modifications may be made in the structure shown besides those indicated in the preceding. Thus, if toy targets of the class described are to be used in amusement parks or the like where one hitting the target member 24 receives an article as a prize an elongated trough or the like may be located with respect to the dispensing opening 48 so as to convey such an article to an individual; Since a wide variety of modifications of this category are possible this invention is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy dispensing target which comprises: asupport having front and rear sides, said support being designed to be disposed in a vertical plane; means for holding said support in a vertical'plane; means defining a centrally located aperture in said support; a rod positioned perpendicular to said support and extending through said aperture-so as to project from both sides of said support; a target member attached to the extremity of said rod on the front side of said support, said target member having a surface remote from said front side of said support which is parallel to said front side, said surface being designed to be engaged by a projectile so as to actuate said target; a first inclined chute having an open top, a bottom wall and a side opening adjacent to and above said bottom wall located on the rear side of said support generally above said rod so that said bottom wall is located adjacent to, and spaced from said rod;

a second inclined chute having first and second openings located inthe lower side thereof positioned on the rear side of said support so that said first side opening in said second inclined chute is in communication with said side opening in said first chute, said first side opening in said second inclined chute being located above said second side opening in said second inclined chute; a third inclined chute having a top side opening located on the rear side of said support with said top side opening in communication with said second side opening of said second chute; means defining a dispensing opening in said support leading from the bottom of said third inclined chute to the front side of said support; a container adapted to receive articles passing through said chute attached to said front side of said support beneath said dispensing opening, said container having an open top; a member secured to said rod so as to extend therefrom, said member located on said rod adjacent to the rear side of said support; bearing means attached to the rear side of said support so as to support an extremity of said rod remote from said support; a bell crank lever having an opening in one arm thereof positioned on the rear side of said support so that said rod passes through said opening in said lever, said am of said lever containing said opening being located on said rod so as to be spaced from said support by said member secured to said rod, the other arm of said bell crank lever being located within said first chute adjacent to said bottom wall, part of said first chute serving as a fulcrum to said lever; a coil spring located between said bearing means and said bell crank lever around said rod, said coil spring serving to normally hold one arm of said bell crank lever and said member secured to said rod against one another and against said support, said coil spring being capable of deformation when said target member is engaged by a projectile so as to allow said bell crank lever to rotate causing an article located in said first chute to be moved to said second chute from which said article moves by gravity to said third chute and through said dispensing opening into said container.

2. A toy dispensing target as defined in claim 1 wherein said chutes and said bearing means are formed by a single member and wherein the openings formed on said chutes so as to connect sa-id chutes are the same as one another.

3. A toy dispensing target as defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom wall in said first chute is provided with a curved edge adjacent to said side opening.

4. A toy dispensing target which includes: a support; inclined chute means mounted on said support, said chute means having an open top, a bottom wall and a side opening adjacent to and above said bottom wall, said chute means being adapted to contain a plurality of articles; a bell crank lever having arms extending from a central pivot point at substantially a fixed right angle to one another located with said pivot point being rotatably mounted on said support so that an arm of said lever projects into the bottom of said inclined chute means, said arm serving to push an article from against the bottom wall of said inclined chute means and out through said side opening in said inclined chute means when said bell crank lever is rotated, and target member means for rotating said bell crank lever movably mounted on said support so as to be capable of rotating said bell crank lever means when engaged by a projectile.

5. A toy dispensing target which includes: a support; an inclined chute means mounted on said support, said chute means having an open top, a bottom wall and a side opening adjacent to and above said bottom wall, said chute means being adapted to contain a plurality of articles; a bell crank lever having arms extending from a central pivot point at substantially a fixed right angle to one another located with said pivot point being rotatably mounted on said support so that an arm of said lever projects into the bottom of said inclined chute means, said lever being capable of being rotated toward said side opening, whereby during said rotation, said arm of said lever serves to push an article from against the bottom wall of said inclined chute means out of said inclined chute means through said side opening, while simultaneously retaining other articles above said arm within said inclined chute means; and spring means for returning said bell crank lever to a position where articles within said inclined chute means are capable of moving through said inclined chute means toward said bottom wall and wherein said article pushed by said lever means is dispensed from said target, and target member means for rotating said bell crank lever, said target member means being adapted to be engaged by a projectile so as to rotate said bell crank lever.

6. A toy dispensing target which comprises: a support having front and rear sides, said support being adapted to be held in a vertical plane; rod means extending through said support so as to project from both sides of said support, said rod means being movable; a target member adapted to be engaged by a projectile attached to the end of said rod means on the front side of said support; inclined chute means mounted on the rear side of said support above said rod means, said inclined chute means having an open top, a bottom wall and a side opening adjacent to and above said bottom wall; bell crank lever means mounted on the rear of said support, an arm of said lever means projecting into the bottom of said inclined chute means and the other arm of said lever means being located so as to be engaged by said rod means during movement thereof when said target member is engaged by a projectile, said bell crank lever means being capable of being rotated when engaged by said rod means so that said arm projecting into the bottom of said inclined chute means serves to move an article within the bottom of said inclined chute means through said side opening; and spring means attached to the rear of said support, said spring means serving to return said bell crank lever means and said rod means to an initial position wherein articles within said inclined chute means move toward the bottom wall of said chute means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 847,242 Crickler Mar. 12, 1907 884,340 Northcraft Apr. 7, 1908 936,726 Johnston Oct. 12, 1909 959,710 Burbank May 31, 1910 1,680,167 Noda Aug. 7, 1928 1,940,321 Pagett Dec. 19, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 574,237 Germany Apr. 11, 1933 

